Refrigerating apparatus



May16, 1939. I LD 2,158,540

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 31, 1934 UUUUUU UUUUUUU U'UUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUU I ENT R. W l

B; 1 ATTOIZ? Patented May 16, 1939 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUSRichard E. Gould, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation,Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1934,Serial No. 750,849

13 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigeration.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved refrigeratingapparatus which is particularly useful in cooling rooms or otherenclosures.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the followin description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawing: 1

The figure is a vertical cross-sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic, ofan apparatus em- 7 bodying features of my invention.

16 A refrigerating apparatus, in accordance with -my invention,includes, in general, a refrigerant translating device, such as acompressor 10, driven by a motor I l, in refrigerant fiow relationshipwith an evaporator l2 and a condenser I3. The

90 translating device and the evaporator preferably are mounted on acabinet M, which is adapted to be placed in the room 15, the air forwhich is to be cooled or conditioned. The condenser i3 is adapted to bemounted outside of the room, and

25 the arrangement is such that the heat which is absorbed by therefrigerating apparatus from the air to be conditioned is dischargedinto the atmosphere outside of the room through the condenser I3.

30 A certain amount of heat is generated by the refrigerant translatingdevice, and it is desirable to prevent this heat from being transmittedto the room l5. To'this end, the translating device is housed in aninsulated enclosure l6, which, for

example, may be located in the lower part of the cabinet 14. Theevaporator l2 may be located in the upper part of the cabinet [4. Airfor the room l5 may be circulated thereover by means of a fan I! drivenby a motor I8, the air entering at inlet l9 and being discharged at theoutlet 20. The air entering at I9 may come from the room l5 as shown, ormay come from outside the room, or both from inside and outside theroom, if

desired.

40 Means are provided for evaporating high pressure liquid refrigerantin thermal exchange with the translating device and for condensing thevaporized refrigerant thus formed for reuse. Preferably this refrigerantis the same refriger- 50 ant which is circulated through the translatingdevice, evaporator and condenser. In order to accomplish this, therefrigerant which is evaporated in the evaporator l2 flows through thevapor line 2| to the compressor l8 where it is compressed and isdischarged through the line 22 to the condenser l3. The liquefiedrefrigerant from the condenser l3 fiows through the line 23 to a liquidrefrigerant receiver 24, from whence the refrigerant may fiow throughthe line 25 to an expansion valve 26 leading to the evaporator I2. 5

The valve 26 may be of any automatic type, and

preferably is of the type which introduces liquid refrigerant into theevaporator whenever the pressure therein is reduced below apredetermined limit. The valve 26 is preferably also provided 10 with athermostatic bulb 21 which throttles the valve 26 whenever therefrigerating effect in the evaporator reaches the bulb 21.

A portion of the high side liquid refrigerant is evaporated in thermalexchange with the translating device, preferably in the exchanger 28. Apump 29, whichis preferably actuated by the flow of refrigerant, isprovided. This pump may take the form of a jet, or venturi, pump placedin the discharge line 22, with its suction connection 38 connected tothe heat exchanger 28. When the compressor It operates, the flow ofrefrigerant through the venturi 29 reduces slightly the pressure in theconnection 38 and thus withdraws any vaporized refrigerant from theexchanger 28'where a portion of the liquid refrigerant is evaporated bythe heat of the compressor l0 and/or motor II. The vapor thus formedfinds its way into the line 22 and is forwarded to be .condensed in thecondenser I3. 30

The exchanger 28 may be of any suitable construction which permitsliquid refrigerant to rise therein. Thus it may be formed of a pluralityof tubes connected to the cylindrical receiver 24 in header-likeformation and their upper ends may be connected to a header 3| which inturn is joined to the connection 38. The tubes may be provided with fins32. The level of the liquid in receiver 29 is such that liquid ismaintained in the tubes of exchanger 28. When the refrigerating systemis to be used to cool'a room or the like, the cabinet l4 may be placedinside of the room, while the condenser l3 may be supported outside ofthe room by means of brackets 33 which are vertically adjustably se- 46cured to the cabinet at 34 and which pass through the window just abovethe sill 35. A false sill 36, made of rubber or the like, surrounds thebrackets 33 and thus permits a substantially tight joint between thesash 31 and the false sill 36.

Means are provided for discharging the moisture condensed on theevaporator l2 outside the room. To this end, a drain pan 38 is placedunderneath'the evaporator l2. A pipe 39 is connected to a pump 40 towithdraw the moisture 58 from the pan 38 and to discharge it at thesprayhead 4| over the condenser l3 where it is vaporized. The pump 40may be operated by motor 42 which conveniently may also operate the fan43 which circulates air over the condenser l3 through the openings 44and 45, carrying with it the vaporized moisture.

Controls for the motors may be provided. Thus a hand switch 46 causesthe motor l8 to operate whenever the switch is closed. A thermostaticswitch 41, in series with another hand switch 46', causes the motors l Iand 42 to operate wheneverit is closed and while the switches 46 and 46'are closed. The thermostatic switch 41 may be made responsive toconditions created by the apparatus and the thermostatic bulb 48 thereofmay be conveniently placed near the opening I 9 to be effected by theair from the room IS. The bulb 48 may be a dry bulb, a wet bulb or acombination of both thus to be responsive in part or in whole to theirrelative-humidity within the room and/or to its temperature. By thisarrangement the motor I8 may be operated even when refrigeration is notrequired, and its operation is made necessary when refrigeration isrequired.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a refrigerant translating device,a condenser and an evaporator in refrigerant flow relationship, andmeans for evaporating high pressure liquid refrigerant in thermalexchange with said translating device and for condensing the vaporizedrefrigerant thus formed, said means including a pump operated by theflow of refrigerant.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a refrigerant translating device,a condenser and an evaporator in refrigerant flow relationship, andmeans for evaporating high pressure liquid refrigerant in thermalexchange with said translating device and for condensing the vaporizedrefrigerant thus formed, said means including a jet pump.

- 3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, condenser andevaporator in refrigerant flow relationship, a motor drivingly connectedto said compressor, and a pump operated byrefrigerant flowing throughsaid compressor for circulating liquid refrigerant to cool said motor.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, condenser andevaporator in refrigerant flow relationship, a motor drivingly connectedto said compressor, and a pump operated by refrigerant flowing throughsaid compressor for circulating liquid refrigerant to cool saidcompressor.

5. In a cooler for a room or the like, a cabinet, an evaporator and arefrigerant translating device mounted therein, bracket means mounted onthe cabinet and having a free end adapted to extend through a window anda condenser mounted on the free end of the bracket means, refrigerantflow means between said evaporator, translating device and condenser, ablower for circulating air over said condenser, a control responsive toair conditions in said room and controlling the operation of saidtranslating device and blower, and means for evaporating high pressureliquid refrigerant in thermal exchange with said translating device andfor condensing the vapor thus formed outside said window.

6. In a cooler for a room or the like, a cabinet, an evaporator and arefrigerant translating device mounted therein, bracket means mounted onthe cabinet and having a free end adapted to extend through a window anda condenser mounted on the free end of the bracket means, refrigerantflow means between said evaporator, translating device and condenser, ablower for circulating air over said condenser, a control responsive toair conditions in said room and controlling the operation of saidtranslating device and blower, means for evaporating high pressureliquid refrigerant in thermal exchange with said translating'device andfor condensing the vapor thus formed outside said window, and means fordischarging water condensed on said evaporator outside said window.

7. In a cooler for a room or the like, a cabinet, an evaporator and arefrigerant translating device mounted therein, bracket means mounted onthe cabinet and having a free end adapted to extend through a window anda condenser mounted on the free end of the bracket means, refrigerantflow means between said evaporator, translating device and condenser, ablower for circulating air over said condenser, means for evaporatinghigh pressure liquid refrigerant in thermal exchange with saidtranslating device and for condensing the vapor thus formed outside saidwindow, and means for discharging water condensed on said evaporatoroutside said window.

8. In combination, a refrigerant translating device, a condenser and anevaporator in refrigerant flow relationship, a heat exchanger in thermalexchange with said translating device, means for supplying liquidrefrigerant to said heat exchanger, and a jet pump operated byrefrigerant flowing through said translating device for reducing thepressure in said heat exchanger.

9. In combination, a low side evaporator, a translator, a condenser anda high side liquid receiver in refrigerant flow relationship, a jet pumpwith the inlet of the jet connected to the translator, the outlet of thepump connected to the condenser and the suction inlet of the pumpconnected to the receiver.

10. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, condenser andevaporator in refrigerant flow relationship, and means for dissipatingheat of compression comprising an evaporator and a jet pump operating byrefrigerant discharged by said compressor for evaporating a portion ofthe liquid refrigerant.

11. Refrigerating apparatus for a room or the like comprising acompressor and an evaporator mounted within the room and a condensermounted without the room, refrigerant flow connections between saidcompressor, evaporator and condenser, and a jet pump operated byrefrigerant discharged by said compressor for evaporating a portion ofthe liquid refrigerant.

12. Heat exchange apparatus of the character described comprising arefrigerating mechanism inclusive of evaporator and condenser units,means for the circulation of air to be cooled about the evaporator unit,means for the circulation of cooling air about the condenser unit, meansfor collecting condensate from the evaporator unit and forcibly sprayingit into the path of the air circulated about the condenser unit, andmeans for evaporating liquid refrigerant in thermal'exchange with aportion of said refrigerating mechanism, said last named means ineludinga pump operated by the flow of refrigerant.

13. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a rei'rigerant translatingdevice, a condenser and an evaporator in refrigerant flow relationship,and means for diverting a portion of the high pressure liquidrefrigerant from said condenser into thermal exchange relationship withsaid translating device to be vaporized thereby and for returning suchvaporized refrigerant to said condenser, said means including a pump.

RICHARD E. GOULD.

